This qualitative case study explored how families from diverse cultural backgrounds understood family involvement in the context of early childhood care and educational settings. Participants in the study included nine members from six families who had children enrolled in three early childhood care and education programs. The primary method of data collection included in-depth interviews with the parents of these children. A second data source was obtained through non-participant observations in each of the three programs. Findings revealed that the way families understand parent involvement is strongly influenced by issues of ethnicity, social class, level of education, and language. (Contains 2 tables.)